Don Cherry

An excerpt of a 9/12/1990 interview with trumpeter Don Cherry. He died recently. He played with Ornette Coleman's free jazz revolution which began in 1959.

Cherry played with Ornette Coleman's free jazz ensemble. After striking out on his own, he immersed himself in world music. Those influences have informed Cherry's new album, Multikulti.

Cherry joined with four internationally known jazz improvisers for a playful session at a Swiss festival in 1980. Critic Kevin Whitehead says the music they made still sounds fresh 36 years later.

Ornette Coleman died Thursday, at the age of 85. Listen to a pair of conversations with the saxophonist and composer, as well as interviews with members of his quartet — Don Cherry and Charlie Haden — and his son, Denardo Coleman.